Leaping Leprechauns - Fun P.E. Warm-Up Game for St. Patrick's Day

For a printable version, please click on "Leaping Leprechauns".  Pics and Videos of this game are below.

Leaping Leprechauns

By:  Carly Glanzman

Equipment Needed:
4 cones, preferably numbered 1-4
4 Buckets or boxes
30 paper shamrocks or gold coins.  May also use beanbags, small balls, etc.
Items to leap over such as hurdles, jump ropes, poly spots, etc.

Skills:
Leaping
Following Directions

Description of Activity:
Tell students they are pretending to be leprechauns who have to LEAP through the forest to find treasures (shamrocks, gold, etc.)

Four mini-obstacle courses are set up for students to go through.  After completing a course, the student collects a treasure (shamrock or other item) from the bucket at the end of the course, then they will run to the opposite end of the gym, drop treasure in the empty bucket, and choose another obstacle course to go through.  Continue playing until all of the treasures are collected.   

Set-Up:
On one end of the gym, place 4 cones on the endline.  The cones mark the beginning of each obstacle course.  Divide students equally behind each cone to begin.  After they complete the course in their line, they may get in any other line and continue playing.  

For each line, set up hurdles or other obstacles for students to leap over, going all the way to the opposite end of the gym.  

Place 2 buckets filled with shamrocks (or other treasures) in the two corners at the end of the gym at the end of the obstacles.  Place two empty buckets at the corners of the gym where the start of the obstacles are.  After completing a course, students run to the corner, take a shamrock, and run down the SIDELINE of the gym (so they do not interfere with students who are doing the obstacle courses).  They put their shamrock in the empty bucket.  Then the student chooses another line to join.  (make each obstacle course slightly different for a variety).  

Notes:
The empty buckets could be placed by the wall in the corner with a rainbow taped on the wall (like it’s a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow).  

Remind students to collect their shamrock after completing a course, and run down the SIDELINE begin a new obstacle.  

For motivation to complete courses, tell students they can keep track in their heads how many shamrocks they get.  

For more P.E. Games visit my web page at http://carlyspegames.weebly.com!



Videos of my student teacher, Mr.Gietzen, teaching this game to Kindergarten:

Video of 2nd graders:

Pictures of Set-Up Ideas:

"Stepping Stones" to balance on.

To begin, students line up behind a cone.

Cones for running though (zig zag), poly spots for hop scotch,and bowling pins for leaping over.

Hurdles, agility ladder, bowling pin to leap over.

Tunnel to crawl through, hurdle and foam pins to leap over.